Quicksand

FOURTEEN

THE FLASHLIGHT BURNED BRIGHT in the darkness.

Kistle could see Laura Ann huddled close to the light as if it were a fire to warm her and keep her safe.

He stroked the paddle through the water. Kistle Island was just across the water, as he'd told the child. It had no real name, so he had given it his own. He landed, hid the boat in the swamp shrubs, and unpacked his weapons. He felt exhilaration soar through him as he stepped onto the island.

They should be here soon, but he still had time to savor this homecoming. Sweet memories of power and total subjugation. He had been king here. He was king here. Life and death made him master, and that never changed.

He cast another glance at the light burning on the other island.

Bring them to you, Laura Ann.

Make them flutter like moths to your flame.

"IT'S NOT THE SAME." MONTALVO glanced at the island and then down at the photo. He clicked off the flashlight. "This one is a wild-goose chase."

"So what do we do? Check out the rest of the area?" Miguel asked.

Montalvo thought about it. They were already here and that would be the practical course to follow.

Yet every instinct was telling him to go north in the direction Quinn had taken.

To hell with being practical.

THE BEAM FROM THE FLASHLIGHT was like the nightlight in her bedroom at home, Laura Ann thought. They both made her feel safe. Only the one at home was Tinker Bell and there were no fairies here. No one to tell you to believe. Only scary trees and slithering sounds in the darkness.

And that man Kistle who had left her here to wait for Eve. Would Eve bring the police with her? She hoped she would and they would catch Kistle and put him in jail for a hundred years.

But he had said he would come back and hurt her. So why would he give her the flashlight and leave her?

She didn't want to think about that. He had done it and she had the flashlight and soon Eve would come for her.

But if she had the flashlight it must be bad for her, bad for Eve, or Kistle would never have given it to her. He only wanted to do bad things.

Get away from him.

But he wasn't here now. She was safe.

He'd be back.

Get away from him.

No, she had her little pool of light here. There were bad creatures out there in the darkness. Maybe not monsters, but things that could hurt her.

She had to stay here in the light.

"WAIT." EVE SEARCHED THE darkness ahead. "I thought I saw something."

"What?"

Joe asked.

"Light."

"Where? I don't see anything."

"It was just a glimpse through the trees. Up ahead and to the right. I'd swear it was… maybe I was wrong." She glanced at Megan. "Did you see a light?"

Megan didn't answer. Her body was tense, strained. Her gaze was fixed straight ahead and her face gleamed pale in the darkness.

"What is it?" Eve couldn't look away from the horror she saw in Megan's expression.

"I don't know," Megan whispered. "Oh, God, I don't know."

THEY WERE COMING!

A surge of fierce joy tore through Kistle as he saw the boat in the distance. Three in the boat. Quinn, Eve, and who else? It didn't matter. First he'd take out Quinn, and then he'd be able to lure Eve. He positioned himself more comfortably on the high cypress branch that allowed him a clear vision of both the other island and the water leading to it. He sighted and drew a bead on Quinn's figure in the front of the boat. Too far yet for even a good shot. He could afford to wait. Laura Ann's light would draw them right into his line of fire. As soon as they got close enough, they'd use binoculars and see the little bitch hovering over that light, all alone and waiting to be rescued. Quinn wouldn't swallow that Kistle released her, but he'd still have to come and investigate. He gave a glance back at the other island. Quinn should be putting on speed because they'd be able to see-

No light.

What the shit? Where was the flashlight? Where was the little bitch?

He raised his binoculars. No light. No Laura Ann.

Dammit, not now. Quinn was on his way and he needed to keep him focused and distracted.

Where the fuck was the kid?

THE WATER WASN'T COLD, BUT Laura Ann's teeth were chattering. It was dark and she couldn't see what was in the water with her. Alligators. Kistle had said the alligators would tear and hurt her. She wanted to be back on the island with the flashlight where she could see. Maybe she should have stayed there.

But if Kistle wanted her there, then it was the wrong place to be. Wrong for her and wrong for Eve. She could swim, she could climb. If she could get to one of those huge cypress trees growing out of the swamp water, then maybe she'd be able to climb up and hide.

Monsters.

The waters are trembling.

Alligators.

The tears were pouring down her cheeks as she started to swim toward the trees a short distance away. She didn't have to hide them; she didn't have to be brave. He wasn't here. It didn't matter if she cried now.

MEGAN BENT DOUBLE AS THE pain hit her. She couldn't stand it. But she had to stand it. She couldn't get away from the voices.

Don't hurt me. Don't hurt me. Don't hurt me.

I'll be good.

Let me see my Mama.

Shrieks.

Don't do it again.

Stop him.

I can't do it. Too late. Too late.

So many…

Nora Jean. Cambry. Paul. Letitia. Eric. Danielle. Monty. Natal-

"Megan," Eve whispered. "What's happening?"

"Too strong," Megan sobbed. "Too many. I can't close them out. So much pain. Lonely. Hurting. Mama. They want their mothers. They want to go home. Why won't he stop? I can't help them."

"Them?" Eve asked. "Bonnie?"

"I don't know. There are too many voices. I can't… separate. Names, but not all. Not all."

"What the hell is happening?" Joe was looking back at Megan. "This isn't the time for playact-" He stopped as he saw her expression. "My God."

"Too many," Eve echoed. "Not just one grave?"

Megan shook her head. "Dozens. I don't know… Too many." She was shaking. "And I can't close them out. I don't want to close them out. They need- But it hurts. It hurts."

"Laura Ann?" Eve asked.

"I can't-I don't think so. I might not be able to tell the difference."

Mama!

Sobbing.

You shouldn't do that to me.

Please, can I go home? I'll be good.

Shock. Pain. Shock. Death.

"Megan." Eve's hand was gripping her own. "We need you. Where are the voices coming from?"

Where? They were surrounding Megan, filling the world. But Eve needed her. Laura Ann needed her. She might still be alive.

"Where?" Eve repeated.

Megan made an effort to pull herself together. She jerked away from Eve's grip and tried to get the voices to stop.

Let me alone. Just for a moment. I want to help you, but I can't do it. Help me. Help Laura Ann.

She drew a deep breath and pointed to the left. "There. There's an island behind all those trees and swamp shrubs."

Eve shook her head. "There's an island on the right. That's about where I saw the light."

Megan shook her head. "On the left. They're all there… the children. Every one of them."

"You're sure the light was on the island on the right, Eve?" Joe asked. "That island looks like the same one that's in the photo."

He wasn't going to believe her, Megan thought in despair.

Eve nodded. "I'm certain I saw-"

"I don't care where you saw a light," Megan said fiercely. "That's not his island. That's not his damn burial ground. It's there, across the way, hidden somewhere in that mass of trees and foliage."

"There's no hint of any island there," Joe said. "It's just a bank of dense trees and plant life. We're supposed to trust you that it's there and try to find it?"

Screams.

Help me, Mama.

Hold on. Keep the voices at bay.

"His island is there," she said. "I hear him talking about it to one of the children. Danielle… He loves it. He says her blood is going to soak into-"

"Shut up." Joe's gaze was on Eve. "She shouldn't hear-"

"No one should hear it," Megan said. "But I do, and I didn't come here to suffer through this hell without it meaning something." She stared him in the eye and her voice was vibrating with passion. "You listen to me, Joe Quinn. I can only say this once because I don't know how long I'm going to be able to stand this. I can't hold them off. As God is my witness, there is an island that's a burial ground in those trees. If there was a light on the other island, it was a trap. You expected a trap, didn't you? Well, there it is." Her voice broke. "Now you go and find Kistle and those children so that we can get the hell out of here."

He didn't speak for a moment. "Only one child, Megan. Laura Ann."

She shook her head. "So many children. They all want to go home," she whispered. "Believe me, Joe, so many children."

"Joe," Eve said.

He was still searching Megan's expression. He slowly nodded. "The light could have been a trap." He was taking off his boots as he spoke. "If it was, Kistle had to have a vantage point to spring it. That island's pretty barren and there's no place to hide. So there's only one other thing I have to swallow as truth, and it's sticking in my throat." He handed Eve his rifle and his Magnum before fastening on the belt holding his machete and the waterproofed holster holding his.38. "But I'm going to force it down."

"What are you going to do?" Eve asked.

"I'm going to swim past that jungle of foliage and see if I can find an island." He smiled recklessly as he took off his shirt and threw it on the bottom of the boat. "And, if I do, I'm going to go hunting."

"And you expect me to stay here and let you go alone?" Eve asked. "No way. Tell me what to do to help."

"Not a damn thing until I see if there's an island there." He slipped out of the boat and into the water. "Other than that, stay out of Kistle's way so that he can't use you as a hostage against me." He started swimming in the direction of the bank of trees. "And take care of Megan. She looks as if she's-take care of her."

Eve muttered a curse beneath her breath as she turned to Megan. "He couldn't wait to go on his damn hunt. Why can't he see that I-" She stopped. "Good God. You look as if you've turned to stone. Can I do anything for you?"

Megan wished she was stone. Then she wouldn't be able to hear the voices that wouldn't be silenced. "You can kill the bastard," she said hoarsely. "Then you can get me away from here before I fall apart." She drew a long, shaky breath. "Just find Laura Ann and let's go back to the dock."

"To find Laura Ann I have to go after Joe," Eve said. "That means I'll have to row the boat to the island. Can you take it?"

The closer to the island, the louder and more persistent would be the voices. "I don't know." She closed her eyes. "I don't have a choice, do I?"

"I wish I could say that you do," Eve said. "You don't have to set foot on the island. You can stay in the boat. Will that help?"

"Probably not." Megan opened her eyes. "But I'm the one who decided to go with you to this hellhole. I have to go through with it. What's next?"

"I'll phone Montalvo and tell him to get here and help. Then I'll wait until I'm sure Joe isn't coming back, that there really is an island hidden in those shrubs. Then I'll go after him."

"The island is there." Megan could hear her words slurring as she tried to speak through the fog of voices. "How strange, that your Joe believed me and you're the one who's not certain."

But maybe Eve didn't want to recognize the horror on that island. Not if Bonnie was a part of it.

Bonnie, are you there?

EVE'S PHONE RANG AS SHE was dialing Montalvo.

"How did you know about my island, Eve?" Kistle asked. "I was planning to show it to you personally, but I'm afraid you're going to invade my space. I saw Quinn slip into the water and head this way. I was going to go down to the bank to meet him, but he's disappeared. Do you suppose an alligator got him? No, I'd bet on him over an alligator. That means he's managed to slip onshore. I wonder where he is…"

"Behind you every step of the way," Eve said. "I want to talk to Laura Ann."

"I'm afraid you can't do that. The game has commenced and she's no longer a viable pawn."

"Is she dead?"

"I'm not certain. Perhaps."

"You have to know, you bastard."

"I'm not lying. The little bitch spoiled my nice scenario and took off. She was supposed to lead you right under my rifle and she blew it. I gave her a flashlight and left her on that other island to wait for you. Now, what kid is going to leave dry land and a cozy light to run into a swamp? I even warned her about the alligators that are waiting to eat little girls on the north end of the island." His voice turned vicious. "I hope they've decided to have her for dinner."

Eve felt a sinking sensation as she remembered the light that had disappeared from one moment to the next. She had been the one to tell Laura Ann to run if she got the chance. When she had realized she was bait for the trap, the little girl had evidently taken her opportunity to escape, even though she must have felt safe for the first time since her nightmare had begun. "I'd bet on her over an alligator too," she said unevenly. "She beat you, Kistle."

"Only temporarily. If the alligators didn't get her, then I'll be able to take my time finding her. When are you coming for your Bonnie, Eve? Quinn is going to try to put himself between us. Are you going to let that happen?"

"No."

"I didn't think you would. We've both been waiting too long. Come to me. I'll find you. Now I have to get on the move. Quinn will be on the hunt." He hung up.

Eve pressed the disconnect. "Joe reached the island. Kistle hasn't caught him yet."

Megan didn't answer and Eve wasn't even sure she had heard her. She was enveloped in her own nightmare.

Eve dialed Montalvo. When he answered, she filled him in on what was happening.

"Stay where you are," Montalvo said. "I'm not five minutes away from your location. Wait for me."

"I can't wait," she said. "Find Laura Ann. She's alone out there somewhere." She hung up and picked up the paddle. Joe had been able to swim to the island, but how was she going to get through those palmettos in this boat?

Stop worrying and just do it.

LAURA ANN GRIPPED THE CYPRESS desperately, but it did no good. She slipped back into the water with a splash.

Had Kistle heard it? Had he come back to get her? He had said he would.

She listened.

No sound. Only the birds.

And the slithering of a snake.

Snake can't hurt me. Snake can't hurt me.

She tried frantically to climb the tree again.

She slipped. The bark of the tree was slick with water, moss, and peat.

Her heart was beating so hard with panic she couldn't breathe.

Try again. Get out of the water.

She caught a glimpse of movement on the bank. Something low, something dark.

Something big.

EVE JUMPED OUT OF THE BOAT and tied it to a thin pine tree near the edge of the bank. She had found a cove where she could dock, but it offered little concealment. Joe had left his rifle and Magnum. Which weapon to take with her? The rifle. It had a night scope and she'd be moving in and out of the darkness of the trees. She grabbed it and said to Megan, "I know I said you wouldn't have to step onshore, but I'd feel better if you'd hide in the bushes until I come back. I don't like to leave you here alone."

"Not alone." Megan's voice was stilted. "Not alone. Get… him. Kill him. Don't let him ever… do it again."

Eve felt a chill run through her. Megan could barely talk and her body language was tortured. What had Eve done to her by bringing her here?

And what was Kistle doing to all of them?

She had to ask one more question. "Do you know where those children are buried?"

"North."

"I'll be back as soon as I can."

Megan didn't answer as Eve moved into the palmetto shrubs.

Where was she going? She was no hunter.

Come to me. I'll find you, Kistle had told her.

And Kistle was a hunter. He'd have no trouble tracking her, finding her.

All she had to do was find a place to wait for him to do it.

Her gaze went to the north side of the island.

Oh, yes, and that's where I'm going to wait for you.

That's where we'll all be waiting for you, Kistle.

MIGUEL CUT THE MOTOR. "There it is."

Montalvo nodded. This island obviously was the one in the photo. And to the left was the bank of trees and shrubs that Eve had said hid Kistle's island.

"We go after the child?" Miguel asked.

"You go after the child." He pulled off his boots and shirt, slipped his phone into his waterproof belt, and went into the water. "I go after Kistle."

NOGRAVES.

Eve stopped as she came out of the brush when she reached the north end of the island. A level mossy glade stretched before her and it gave an almost manicured appearance at odds with the wild chaos of the swamp.

No graves.

Unreasoning relief soared through her. Maybe Megan had been wrong. Maybe there was only one grave and it was on some other part of the island. What did Eve really know about Megan's ability or inability? It was all beyond understanding and belief anyway. She had just accepted because she wanted answers and she-

There was a large wooden box lying on the ground across the glade. It had been placed on a bed of branches in a place of visible prominence.

So that she would see it. So that she would know that he wanted her to look at it, touch it.

Dread iced through her. She didn't want to go near it.

It didn't matter what she wanted. The box was drawing her like a magnet. She had to see what was inside; she had to lift the lid.

The moss was moist and resilient beneath her shoes as she slowly crossed the glade toward the box.

She dropped to her knees in front of it. It was an old, brass-bound coffer, and the wood was stained by frequent handling. Why had Kistle used this box so often?

Oh, God, she was afraid she knew the answer.

She braced herself and lifted the lid.

Hair ribbons, toys, strands of silky hair bound by rubber bands, fingernails. It was full to overflowing, and some items were labeled with names, some were not. She lifted a strand of curly black hair and stared blindly down at the neatly written tag. Letitia.

She felt sick. She dropped the strand back into the box. She didn't want to touch the poor horrible remains of those children.

But she was going to do it. Because she had to see if one of those pitiful thatches of hair was red and curly and was labeled Bonnie.

"Ah, you've found it. You've been very quick. I didn't expect you to stumble on my memory box for hours. I'm very proud of it. It's unique."

She lifted her head to see Kistle standing several yards away, his rifle cradled casually in his arm. There could be no mistake. The same gray-brown hair, the same features as in the photo Montalvo had shown her. But he was taller, more powerfully built than she had thought. All that power and strength devoted to the subjugation of helpless children. Anger flared through her. "It's not unique. Memory boxes are common with serial killers. You probably saw it on TV and copied it."

"Now, that was vicious. I pride myself on my originality. But I forgive you because you're probably shaken by looking at my little trophies."

"Trophies?" Her voice was shaking. "A trophy is given for some great victory. These are children. They're helpless. What kind of man would you have to be to think of kids as being worthy of fighting at all? You're weak and stupid to believe-"

"I think I'm beginning to get annoyed with you," Kistle interrupted. "I was anticipating a much more satisfying meeting. I've allowed myself to be distracted from playing cat and mouse with Quinn to come and see you. You could be more entertaining." He smiled maliciously. "Have you found the Bonnie trophy yet?"

She went rigid. "No."

"There are some more personal mementos at the bottom of the box. They're blackened, withered, but still recognizable as body parts."

Don't scream. Don't lunge at him. "Are you telling me that one of them belongs to Bonnie?"

"I could tell you that." He tilted his head. "It would take you a long time to verify it. No, I don't believe I'll lie to you. You're not going to live long enough for me to stretch out the pain." He smiled. "But you don't care about whether you live or die, do you? You haven't even looked at the rifle on the ground beside you."

"I care. I wouldn't let you take that away from me."

"You care more about whether Quinn dies, whether Jane MacGuire dies, even whether Laura Ann dies. I think your fear of your own death ended when you lost Bonnie."

"Is there a trophy in this box from Bonnie?"

He stared at her a moment and then shook his head. "But that doesn't mean anything. Bonnie was my inspiration. Maybe I didn't want to class her with the rest."

"Where are the graves?"

"Why, you're kneeling on one right now." He smiled. "If I remember correctly, that should be Nora Jean's grave."

Eve stiffened and slowly looked down at the moss-covered earth. Then she stared around the mossy glade. When she had first caught sight of the glade it had appeared level, but from where she knelt now she could see that it had slight, gentle swellings like the waves of an ocean. Dear God, were all those swellings graves?

"Though it's hard to recall exact locations. It became very crowded here. Though I did label the little darlings' bodies just as I did my trophies. A stake through the heart." He gestured around the glade. "You can hardly take a step without desecrating a grave. I was going to have to really branch out for Laura Ann." He nodded. "And you, Eve. You deserve a place of honor here."

She ignored the threat. "Where did you bury Bonnie?"

"I can't remember. I'll have to think about it."

"Dammit, where did you-" There was something in his expression, just a flicker, but she stiffened as a thought suddenly occurred to her. "Maybe you didn't kill my daughter. Maybe this was all a big lie. Maybe you're just a copycat after all."

His smile faded. "I don't have to lie about kills. Dig up this graveyard and you'll see."

"Show me her grave."

"Do you actually think I didn't kill her?"

"Your friend Murdock said you were obsessed with all the news stories about Bonnie. He said your attitude was weird. Feverish and bitter. Why bitter? Jealousy?"

"You don't know what you're talking about!"

"I think I do. You've evidently been killing for years and you've always prided yourself on your secretiveness. But it must have been terribly frustrating to find out that someone else was garnering all the attention and headlines and yet was able to get away with her murder. You knew you were being smart to hide your kills, but it must have gnawed at you. You wanted everyone to know how smart you were. Smarter than that man who had killed Bonnie, the man you told Murdock was a superstar in everyone's eyes. You desperately wanted to be that man. So you claimed her death as your own kill."

"How clever you are. And perhaps that's why I was so drawn to make contact with you? Maybe I think by killing you, it will somehow validate the lie about killing Bonnie. It does make sense, doesn't it?"

"If your ego is as huge as I think it is."

"Of course, this is all supposition."

"Show me her grave."

"My dear Eve. She has no grave."

"But all these other children have graves?"

"Not all."

She moistened her lips. "You're lying."

He shook his head. "You haven't thought this through. I like to experiment."

"Where is Bonnie?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Where is she?"

He said softly, "Ask the alligators."

Shock sent her reeling back on her heels. "You just want to hurt me. You're not telling the truth. You couldn't-" Yes, he could. Kistle was capable of doing anything evil under the sun.

"I could." He smiled. "You know I could. It's only a question of if the whim struck me. Most people are bound by all kinds of strictures. I've broken away from all those ties. You'd be surprised how free and powerful that makes you feel."

She dove for the rifle lying next to her.

Hot pain tore through her as a bullet pierced her left shoulder. She ignored it and rolled over as she grabbed for the rifle.

"Oh, no." Kistle's foot stomped down on the rifle. "Though I do admire your determination." He picked up her rifle. "Now lie still while I see if you have any other weapons. Make a move and I'll smash in your head with this rifle butt." His hands ran over her. "Clean. But then I wouldn't expect you to be loaded with firepower. It's not your area of expertise." He stepped back. "I could kill you now and I'd feel nothing but pleasure. No guilt, no regret. But you'll find that wound I gave you is nothing, a trifle. I barely skimmed your shoulder. Do you know why?" He didn't wait for her to answer. "Because you wouldn't care enough. I'll have to up the stakes to get the response I need from you." He moved back into the trees. "It has to be Joe Quinn, I think."

She struggled to her knees. "No!"

"You could always stagger after me and try to stop me. That would be amusing. You wouldn't have a chance, of course. You're wounded and you have no weapons. You must know by now how good I am. No, you'd better wait here. I'll bring him to you."

"Kistle." She got to her feet. "You can't-"

Kistle was gone.

And he was going after Joe.

You wouldn't have a chance, of course. You're wounded and you have no weapons.

But as he'd said, the wound was minor, and she could go back to the boat and get Joe's Magnum he'd left with the rifle.

There's always a chance, you bastard.

She reached under her windbreaker to compress the wound. She flinched as pain shot through her. It hurt, but the good news was that it didn't appear to be gushing blood. Maybe Kistle was right and it was only a flesh wound.

She started back toward where the boat was moored.

SOMEONE WAS IN THE BUSHES ahead.

Joe froze and drew his.38. He couldn't see anything even wearing his infrared goggles, but he had heard a whisper of sound.

Kistle?

But it could also be Eve. He didn't trust her to stay away from the island. He'd only hoped he could get Kistle before she made a move.

Get off the ground and get a better view.

He shinnied up a blackgum tree towering next to him. Come on, Kistle. Move.

Nothing.

But there was someone there.

A bullet plowed into the branch next to him!

From where?

From the left of that patch of bushes. He snapped a quick shot.

"Close," Kistle called. "You have good judgment, Quinn. Another two inches and you would have had me." The last sentence had been several yards to the right. He was on the move.

Joe swung over to the next tree.

"I just encountered Eve Duncan. It was very interesting. I shot her as she knelt by her daughter's grave."

Joe went rigid. He had to be lying. Kistle just wanted an answer, a response, so that he could gauge his shot. Joe wouldn't give it to him.

Kistle chuckled. "You didn't rise to the bait. I didn't kill her. I'm waiting to do that when I can be sure of optimum satisfaction. I was thinking about killing you. But I think I'll go and retrieve Laura Ann instead. That will hurt Eve and you'll have to follow and come out of hiding to save the poor child." His voice was fading away. "Two for the price of one."

Joe muttered a curse and began to climb down from the tree. Laura Ann had been on the other island, so Kistle must be heading for the bank where he could get across. Kistle knew every inch of these islands. He'd be traveling with speed and surety.

Joe would have to avoid any traps and move very, very fast.